ElBaradei says US war on Iran is based on lies, echoing Sanders criticism

Former International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) director general Mohamed ElBaradei said in a post on his X account on Sunday that the wars in Vietnam, Iraq and the current war in Iran were based on lies, and called for a fundamental rethink of foreign policy, including continued military funding to what he described as the extremist government in Israel.

ElBaradei's remarks drew attention to criticism of US foreign policy by US Senator Bernie Sanders and his call for a fundamental reassessment of Washington's approach, including its continued military support for Israel. In an earlier interview with CNN, Sanders said Democrats have the power to bring the war against Iran to an end, adding that this could be achieved not only through resolutions but also by cutting off funding for the war.

Sanders also described the war as illegal and unconstitutional, and criticized the financial burden of the war on the United States, saying it had cost the country hundreds of billions of dollars, while gasoline prices and the cost of other essential goods have soared.

The comments come amid ongoing debate in Washington over the direction of US policy toward Iran and the scope of American military support for Israel. ElBaradei, who led the UN nuclear watchdog from 1997 to 2009, has previously been critical of the use of military force and of the justifications offered for past interventions.

According to Mehr News, ElBaradei's post linked the current conflict with earlier US wars that were later questioned over their stated rationale, and paired that argument with Sanders' call for Congress to reassess both the war's legality and its funding.